This invention relates to an apparatus for forming a space in a continuous fastener chain consisting of interengaged stringers by removing fastener elements and simultaneously fixing a stop to the fastener chain at a place along the fastener element array adjacent the space.
The apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,972,150 is known to simultaneously achieve space forming and stop fixing. In this apparatus, a space punch for shearing off the head portions of fastener elements to form a space and a driver punch for driving a stop into the tapes of a chain are mounted on a press head so that the space and driver punches move in unison. Therefore, when the press head descends, a space is formed and simultaneously a stop is fixed to the tapes. However, in this apparatus, another device is used for previously forming stop preforms of a bottom-opened rectangular shape. Therefore, the number of operation steps is increased. Furthermore, a feeding device for the stop preforms is complicated because the thus formed individual stop preforms must be guided to the place below the driver punch so that the preforms are positioned there in accurate orientation.
A mechanism is also known which obviates use of such previously formed stop preforms by feeding a wire used as material for stops, cutting the wire to an appropriate length and simultaneously bending the length to make a stop preform by a punch and driving the stop preform by a driver punch into the tapes. However, if this mechanism is provided adjacent a space punch intending to fix a stop in the vicinity of an end of a space simultaneously with formation of the space, the resulting apparatus as a whole becomes complicated because various kinds of punches are concentrated in one place. This makes replacement of the punches very time consuming. Since these punches are desired to be easily replaceable when they get worn and/or damaged or different kinds of tapes are used, an apparatus satisfying such desire has been called for.